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Second Trimester Ultrasound

I had my second trimester ultra sound on March 5th. I’m not going to lie. I was nervous and scared. It was just a mixed of emotions all in one. Yes, I was ecstatic to see the progress our baby was making but this ultra sound is when they check on everything.

And quite frankly I was praying for everything to be okay. After all, the following are some of things they will look for:

What will the sonographer look at?

Not Mine

The sonographer will examine all your baby’s organs and take measurements. She will look at:

The shape and structure of your baby’s head. At this stage severe brain problems, which happen very rarely, are visible.

Your baby’s face to check for a cleft lip. Cleft palates inside a baby’s mouth are hard to see and are not often picked up.

Your baby’s spine, both along its length and in cross section, to make sure that all the bones align and that the skin covers the spine at the back.

Your baby’s abdominal wall, to make sure it covers all the internal organs at the front.

Your baby’s heart. The top two chambers (atria) and the bottom two chambers (ventricles) should be equal in size. The valves should open and close with each heartbeat.

Your baby’s stomach. Your baby swallows some of the amniotic fluid that he lies in, which is seen in his stomach as a black bubble.

Your baby’s kidneys. The sonographer will check that your baby has two kidneys, and that urine flows freely into his bladder. If your baby’s bladder is empty, it should fill up during the ultrasound and be easy to see. Your baby has been peeing every half an hour or so for some months now!

Your baby’s arms, legs, hands and feet. The sonographer will look at your baby’s fingers and toes, but not count them.

As well as this detailed look at how your baby is growing, the sonographer will check the placenta, the umbilical cord and the amniotic fluid.